1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a cassette security container of the type for holding a package containing an audio, video or CD cassette. More particularly the invention relates to such a security container which enables the cassette to be displayed in a usual display case or rack of the type heretofore used only for unsecured cassette display packages.
2. Background Information
Audiocassettes, videocassettes and compact discs (CD) have become increasingly popular over the past several years and have become an important segment of the recording and movie industry. These three general types of recording media are displayed in retail stores for sale and/or rental in a variety of display packages. Audiocassettes are most predominantly sold and displayed in a two-piece plastic case of the type shown as prior art in U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,534. These plastic display boxes are usually wrapped in a clear cellophane outer wrapping to protect the cassettes from contaminants and prevent their removal from the outer protective plastic package or box.
The video tapes or cassettes are usually displayed in a cardboard sleeve containing printed indicia thereon, which identifies a particular movie or other video program recorded on the cassette tape. These videocassettes also are then contained in a variety of display packages for subsequent display at the point of sale.
Likewise, CDs are most commonly stored in a container referred to as a "jewel box", somewhat similar to the type of package shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,084,690, 4,702,369 and 4,903,829 wherein the disc is contained within a hinged-lid plastic package.
It has become important, especially in the audiocassette market, that the plastic packages or boxes in which the tapes are contained, be repackaged in an outer security package to prevent their theft from the display cases used in most retail businesses. Various types of display and security containers have been developed for audiocassettes such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,759,442, 4,381,836, 3,871,516, 4,881,645, 4,834,238, 4,285,429 and 4,589,549. Likewise, due to the increased cost of CDs, security devices also have been developed for displaying them, such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,718,547, 4,805,769 and 4,871,065.
Although these security containers for the various types of cassettes have proven satisfactory for many applications, they do present one major problem, that is the overall size of the security container is larger than desired for certain applications, and in particular for use with certain display cases. Various display cases have been developed for displaying audiocassettes, CDs and videocassettes, wherein these cassettes are displayed in their unsecured packages, usually by inserting the package at one end in an elongated groove or slot enabling the user to look at a plurality of such cassettes by pivotally moving the cassettes within their particular storage groove, which grooves are arranged in rows in the storage containers. One example of such a display rack is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,292, with another type being shown in FIG. 14 of the drawings of the present application.
These display cases can involve a substantial outlay of money by the store owner and are not applicable for use with the various cassettes when the cassettes are housed in security containers, due to the increased thickness, particularly in the ends of the security containers. This necessitates either displaying the cassettes in an unsecured package in the existing display racks, which can be expensive to the retail establishment due to loss through shoplifting and theft, or replace these existing display racks with new racks which can display the various cassettes in their security containers. Again, increasing operating costs for the merchant.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,534 is one of the closest prior art containers known relating to the subject invention, in that it recognizes this display problem due to the increased thickness of the display case, and attempts to solve the problem by providing a different type of cassette package. However, the package of this patent is still unsecured. Furthermore, it still increases the thickness of the bottom edge of the storage package making it unsuitable for display in various types of display racks heretofore used for the cassette packages not contained within a security container.
Therefore, the need exists for an improved security container for various types of cassettes, in which the cassettes are preferably maintained in their usual display packages, but when placed in the security container, are able to be displayed in display racks heretofore used for the unsecured package, by providing of an end portion of the security container with a thickness generally equal to the thickness of the usual unsecured display package now contained in the security container.